Various types of heaters that provide heat extracted from fire or flame have existed for some time. These types of heaters include gas-burning devices. However, these types of heaters typically do not visually alter, feature, or display the fire or flame. And while heating devices that display an actual or simulated flame may exist, the flame in these devices typically does not provide significant heat to the surrounding area.
For example, existing outdoor or patio heaters typically include a top section which houses a burner encased behind a screen or perforated metal, through which a flame may be seen and heat radiates. The burner top section typically burns methane, butane, propane or similar gas from a fuel source. The flame in these devices does not form a dramatic visual flame effect, and usually looks like a mere pilot light.
In addition, these existing devices do not efficiently provide heat laterally to the surrounding area because most of the heat is radiated upward through and around the top portion of the device. The heat therefore rises or otherwise dissipates without efficiently heating the area below. As such, existing devices used by restaurants in outdoor areas only heat the areas immediately surrounding the device, in an inefficient manner. It is common to see several such heaters grouped together, because individually, they do not provide significant heat near the ground where the people are standing or seated.
Other types of existing devices may include artificial or simulated flames, but these devices do not use an actual flame with combustion providing heat. As another example, simulated flames have been used in architectural elements such as with indoor or outdoor torches, but these devices are intended to provide only the visual effect of flame, and do not provide significant heat for warming the surrounding area.
For example, U.S. Pat. No. 6,799,727B to Webster entitled “Flame-Effect Heating Apparatus” discloses a heating device with an artificial flame. This device emits some heat to the surrounding area, but the heat is extracted from a hot water source, and not produced by combustion from an actual flame or fire. In fact, the source of heat in this device is not the same source that provides the visual display.
Similarly, GB 2,488,391 to Charlton & Jenwick entitled “Heating Apparatus” discloses a device with an artificial flame. This device is designed for use in homes to provide the sensation of a traditional wood-burning fireplace, while adhering to government regulation that place restrictions on wood-burning fireplaces. However, the artificial flame in this device does not provide heat by combustion.
There are also existing devices in which actual flames may be displayed. However, the visual effect of the flame provided by these devices is limited. Furthermore, these devices are not designed to emit significant amounts of heat for efficiently warming a surrounding area. Instead, these devices are designed to be used primarily as architectural elements for visual effect. In these devices, or architectural elements, any heat from the flame is directed upward into the sky for safety reasons, and away from people in the vicinity of the heater. As such, these devices generally do not warm the surrounding area laterally, as most of the heat travels upward.
In the existing types of devices described above, any noxious fumes from combustion are released upward along with most of the heat. Accordingly, there is no effort made in these devices to separate out noxious fumes from the heat, which makes sense given that providing heat is not a primary concern for these devices.
Another type of existing device in which a flame is displayed is shown in U.S. Pat. No. 7,175,424 B2 to Frink, entitled “Indoor/Outdoor Patio Heater Fire Sculpture.” This device uses a flame as an architectural element, and uses a known method of deflecting heat from a metal cap situated perpendicular to escaping gasses. This method of heat distribution is inefficient given that hot air rises, and heat released from the top of a device will quickly dissipate in relation to the area below which is typically the area that needs to be heated. Furthermore, similar to the devices described above where noxious fumes are not separated from heat, the Frink device uses annular chambers as insulators, and releases heat as well as fumes upward, rather than redirecting captured heat for increasing heat transfer to the surrounding area.
DE 202007018478 to Reiger also discloses a device having a flame element. In this device, the flame is housed in the center of annular chambers, but the device uses a fan to draw air from the base and direct it up and out through the top of the device. Again, there is no separation of heat from noxious fumes and any heat is also not released at or near ground level so as to efficiently warm the surrounding area.
Beyond the foregoing, the flame element in existing architecturally-oriented devices typically consists of flames that are relatively static in appearance and cannot be customized. Accordingly, the visual display provided by existing devices is limited. While some existing devices may allow the appearance of the flame to be altered somewhat, these devices typically still do not use vortex flame to provide a dramatic and customizable display or to efficiently heat the surrounding area. These devices also typically release both the usable heat and noxious fumes safely upward.
For example, U.S. Pat. No. 6,186,775 B1 to Jansohn, entitled “Burner for Operating a Heat Generator” discloses a flame vortex to increase the density of a combustion chamber. However, the vortex flame in that device is designed to save fuel, and is not for purposes of providing a visual display. Indeed, this device is a passive device that relies on entrained air, rather than using a blower to spin the flame such that the spinning flame element may also be customized and/or otherwise provide a dramatic visual effect.
EP2098781 entitled “Flame Generating Device” likewise discloses a passive air entrainment system to create a vortex of flame, rather than a forced air design that allows the flame to be modified and customized. In addition, this system is not designed to heat the surrounding area, or to recapture the updraft of the heat and redirect it to ground level for efficient distribution.
Similarly, CN103196159A, entitled “Grading Trapped Vortex Annular Combustor” discloses a vortex in high power gas turbines to increase combustion efficiency, but this device does not efficiently distribute heat to the surrounding area, while also providing a visual flame display.
U.S. Pat. No. 7,097,448 to Chesney, entitled “Vortex Type Gas Lamp,” uses a flame element designed to provide light to a room, but the flame therein is not used to efficiently heat the surrounding area. This lamp uses a passive air entrainment flame generator that expels heat and fumes upward, rather than separating the fumes from the heat, and redirecting the heat toward the ground such that it can efficiently heat a room or other surrounding area.
Other existing devices that provide heat include electrically powered radiative heaters. However, such heaters do not include any visible flame element.
Beyond the lack of a heater device that efficiently provides heat and also provides a flame display, there are other drawbacks to existing heater devices. For example, heater devices that are mounted to the ground are not portable. Even existing portable devices may include electric cords for power that may be hazardous when lying on the ground, especially in crowded areas like restaurants.
Furthermore, many existing heaters may become dirty or damaged after repeated use due to fumes and heat byproducts or misuse. Many of these heaters are difficult to clean or repair and are oftentimes continued to be used in restaurants and other locations despite their dirty and/or scratched and dented appearance.
Many existing heaters may also be difficult to start or operate, and may involve components that break or are unreliable. This increases cost and maintenance or may result in the heater not being used.
In view of the foregoing, there is a need for a heater that provides visual effects of a flame, while also emitting heat in an efficient manner to a surrounding area. There is also a need for a heater that provides heat from the visible flame element for purposes of efficiency, and separates the heat while allowing noxious fumes to continue in an upward direction such that they will not adversely impact the surrounding areas. There is also a need for a heater that directs heat downward so that it may be released lower to the ground to increase efficient heat distribution.
The longstanding need for heaters that provide significant heat is confirmed by the fact that existing heaters are used, albeit inefficiently to heat various locations. For example, restaurants employ outdoor heaters on patios and other outdoor dining spaces so that those spaces may be used during evening hours and cool weather seasons. However, the inadequacy of these types of heaters to provide heat is confirmed by the fact that oftentimes, several of these heaters are lined up next to each other because they individually do not provide much heat. Most of their heat goes straight up.
There is also a need for visual displays in heaters to be customized, or customizable. Existing heaters or architectural elements with flame displays do not include dramatic flame elements that may be customized, for example by varying the direction of the flame vortex, the speed of the vortex and/or the color of the flame element. And as noted above, these flames do not provide much heat. Accordingly, there is a need to address these shortcomings and to also customize the flame such that it may be proportional to the heat output.
There is also a need that the size of the device may be varied, such that it may be used to heat a small studio apartment, to heat a larger residence or to heat even larger areas such as outdoor tents or large outdoor spaces. There is also a need for portable heaters.
There is also a need for a heater which may be readily cleaned to address any heat byproducts. There is also a need for a heater that may be readily started and operated.
There is also a need for a heater that provides an overall design and aesthetic that is visually pleasing, and that may harmoniously reside in various locations. To this end, there is a need for a heater that may provide the visual effect of a work of art or that may complement surrounding furniture or the overall motif of its location.